NCJ Number
239552
Date Published
September 2012
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This report from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General presents the results of the audit of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services Hiring Recovery Program grant administered by the police department in Lowell, MA.
Abstract
The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General (OIG) conducted an audit of the Lowell (MA) Police Department's administration of the Office of Community Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Recovery Program grant and found while the department submitted inaccurate information on its grant application to COPS, the inaccurate application data did not appear to affect the suitability of the award. In addition, OIG tested additional grant requirements and found the Lowell Police Department in compliance with those requirements. The audit did identify one cost overcharged to the grant that was corrected before the audit was completed. As a result, OIG recommends that the department enhance its procedures for ensuring that all costs charged to the grant are allowable and fully supported. The primary objective of the audit of the Lowell Police Department's COPS Hiring Recovery Program (CHRP) grant was to determine if "the costs claimed by the department under the grant were allowable, supported, and in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, guidelines, and the terms and conditions of the grant." The police department received the funding, totaling $2,084,736, as part of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to avoid laying-off 12 officers from the department. Audit recommendations and the response from department officials are included in the appendixes. Appendixes